


Juunishi Priestess

by Kurisuta



Series: Priestess of the Zodiac [1]
Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dark, Death curse, F/M, Human Sacrifice, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Magic-Users, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Priestesses, curse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurisuta/pseuds/Kurisuta
Summary: Haru is sent by Akito to find the Juunishi Priestess, the Priestess of the Zodiac. Haru discovers a terrible secret about Kuri‘s share of the curse. As the two develop feelings for each other, can they withstand the wrath of Akito?
Relationships: Sohma Hatsuharu/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Priestess of the Zodiac [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005870
Kudos: 2





	1. Absolute

I was meditating in front of the hearth fire of my shrine. One face kept moving in the flames, in my vision.

It was his face.

Hatsuharu Sohma.

I remembered when we had first met.

It had been at last year’s ritual. All the zodiac came to the ritual.

They all watched as I prepared myself, casting a circle of the elements and drawing on the power of the zodiac. And then Akito was going to kill me. I was born at the beginning of the year and sacrificed at the end of the year. Every year for the curse.

I knew, of course. He would stand over the altar. Lately he frequently tortured me beforehand to show his power to the other zodiac.

I always resisted, though it caused me great pain to disobey my kami.

A kami to a priestess is a human with power that she devotes her life to. The kami is her everything, her world. She is nothing without him. Absolute worship.

That is why Akito loved me. And loved sacrificing me.

But on the ritual day I always found strength to disobey. But this time it was especially hard. I felt myself wince.

Hatsuharu, with his white and black hair, I knew him to be the ox. He stormed over, looking angry, grabbed Akito’s hand as he stabbed me.

Luckily I still died and the curse solidified.

His wise eyes stared into mine for a moment, and he seemed to calm down. He let go of Akito and left.

I heard later that he was punished and hospitalized. I was in the hospital around the same time and I had gotten a glimpse of him. Our eyes met.

There was no judgment or resentment in those eyes. Even though he knew I’d cursed him with my blood.

Those wise eyes were the last thing I saw before I died, and the first thing I saw before I awakened again.

I turned and ran back here, to the shrine.

For days I meditated, but I couldn’t forget his face.

And then the door to the shrine opened, and Hatsuharu stood there.

“I decided you need a roommate.” And with that, he strode off and threw his clothes into the spare room and sat down.

xxx

Haru looked at the sparse decor in the room. It was a strange place, to be sure. When he had begged Akito to let him stay with her, he had been thrashed, but it had been allowed.

“You’ll see! Just ask her who’s blood sustains our curse!”

After a while he smelled good food and decided to join them for dinner.

Haru knew that despite the curse, despite the forbidden and unattainable nature of the priestess, he had fallen for her a long time ago.

And now that he had stuck his neck out to help her, there was no helping it. There was no turning back.


	2. Secrets

I was teaching Haru to meditate. He was surprisingly good at it, but sometimes in meditation he would say surprising things that would break my concentration.

Like now.

“How are you still alive?”

I tensed. I knew he would ask. None of the zodiac really understood.

“Haru I—“

He was staring at me. “Don’t sell me the Main House bullshit story either. Akito gave me that. Don’t you lie to me too!”

Had he gone Black? No, his aura was still White.

“I am the sacrifice.” I finally said. “My blood sustains the curse. I am killed to solidify the curse with my sacred blood at the end of the year. Then on New Years I wake alive and whole. I’m cursed like you. I am born to die. Ever since I was a baby.”

The fire leapt high. I fidgeted.

“No.” Haru said, standing so fast he was a blur. “It stops now.”

“If it stops the curse breaks.” I said. “Akito won’t allow that.”

Xxx

Haru was angrier than he’d ever been. He was furious. This was more than Black. This was fury. This was darkness.

“Then I’ll stop Akito.” Haru growled.

“Fine, fine.” Kuri’s voice was desperate. “Just not now. Stop him at the ritual this year. Just please...please don’t go now. He’s stronger than ever at the start of the year. His power over you is stronger too!”

“NO ONE has the power to stop me from saving you!” Haru snapped. “I’ll ki—“

Kuri put a hand on the chest. “No. I know you Haru. You are good. Killing Akito would irreparably stain you. And if he dies the curse would never break. Calm down.” She took his hand and put it at her chest. “Feel my heartbeat, and my breathing. Bring yourself in rhythm with me, like when we meditate. Calm down.”

Kuri put her other hand on his chest. He knew she was using her power to calm him down, but he didn’t mind. Haru could feel the silver light touching his soul. It was just like Yuki had described it.

Haru felt tears running down his cheeks. This woman...

I love you.


	3. Irrevocable Connection

_I was dreaming. I was in the Otherworld, where I always went in my dreams._

_Haru was there, sitting under a tree, munching an apple._

_“Haru?” I said, walking over to him._

_“This place is full of it.” He said._

_“Full of what?” I asked._

_“Your silver light,” Haru replied, and began to kiss me._

_As the Dream swirled and became more and more intimate, I felt pure bliss. Our bodies entwining in love and lust, in a way we could never feel in the real world._

_I moaned and realized we were really here, together, making love. This was real._

_And Akito could never reach us here._

_“We’re safe.” I whispered. “We can make love here.”_

_Haru smirked. “That’s why I followed you here. Now shut up.”_

_I moaned._


	4. Goodbye?

_After that first time, Haru and I spent a lot of time in each other’s dreams._

_But this time was different._

_I stopped kissing him. “Someone has come here.”_

_“What?” Haru was confused._

_I exited the garden and saw him there._

_My deceased younger brother, Shimano._

_“Akito knows.” Shimano warned. “You must stop this. You must send him away before this gets any worse. The ritual—“_

_I put a finger to his lips. “Shimano. I understand. Now go.”_

_He vanished as Haru came up behind me. “What’s—“_

_“You have to go home Haru.”_

Xxx

Haru really hoped that had been a nightmare. But he knew better.

“Why are you sending me away?” Haru asked Kuri again. “Why won’t you let me save you?!”

“Akito is on his way here.”

Haru grasped her, she pushed him away.

“No.” She whispered. “Please. I can’t do much with my body like this but...I can protect you. But if you are here she will hurt me to hurt you.”

Haru’s fists clenched. “I have to leave so you won’t be hurt?!”

Kuri kissed him and he felt her banish him from the shrine. Her words whispered on the wind.

“Come back when I call out to you. This isn’t goodbye.”


	5. Welcome Home With A Kiss

I was out at the store and stepped harshly on my foot.

I felt a snap and a shudder of horrible pain.

I grasped the doorpost.

It was so much pain. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

I was gasping and my face was twisted in pain.

Haru...Haru save me...Haru please!

Strong arms encircled me and picked me up.

“You called?”

Xxx

Haru knew she would call him.

He had been so lonely, so sad without her.

Without her silver light, he had snapped easily. So often he had gone black.

Haru pulled her closer. She’d been hurt. His miko. He should have never left.

Xxx

I had often imagined my first kiss. I had been talking with my sister Reiko about it.

I told her...that my perfect kiss would be if it was cloudy and really cold, so we could see our breath, and it would be just barely snowing…little ice flecks. And we would be talking, and I would turn to go, and he would grab my shoulder…and turn me around…and kiss me. I would be surprised, but then I would return the kiss.

Then closed my eyes, and dreamed about that kiss...with Haru.

New Years was coming. I would get my kiss. I had seen it.


End file.
